Corners
by mochiloch
Summary: Okay...months ago, I promised that the next chapter would be up. Unfortunately, I had gotten preoccupied with other projects. However, this time, I reeaaally mean it! It's coming soon! Just be a little patient...
1. Noah

"If the will of a person...the very essence of their being is true to what they believe, doesn't it live on in the objects, places, or memories of those they once loved?"

Me

A/N: This was redone, because I saw a few mistakes (tee-hee...) But it's still short. But, R&R puleaze.

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Ivy couldn't explain it. Something about today seemed...special. Maybe because she had such a good life, the true heart of a man who loved her dearly, three children, and by what Lucius told her, she hadn't aged a day. Whatever it was, it gave her a wholesome feeling in her chest, as if an old and familiar presence was about.

She breathed the clear, fresh air of the misty morning. She could feel its cold moisture against her ivory skin. In the same shawl she wore, in the same chair, that she sat upon when she was awaiting the new of hers and Lucious' fates. She tried not to think of those times, but it truly was a hard thing to do.

"Mommy..." came the small, sleepy voice of her youngest daughter. "Evelyn, is that you I hear?" she giggled as she lifted her four year old daughter up and into her lap. Evelyn giggiled along as Ivy tickled her gently.

"The sun has not even thought of rising yet, and you are jostling about aready!" she said as she tickled deeper and faster, making Evelyn wail out in a laughing mercy.

Then, she heard two more pairs of feet coming to investigate. Ten year old Catherine was the first to walk onto the front porch, her nearly black hair a wicked mess. Catherine's mannor of person was just as her aunt, sassy. But she contrasted well compared to the eldest of their children, their only son, 14 year old Noah.

It was not even Ivy's idea to name him that, but Lucius' suggestion. He never told her why he wanted to name him that, but she thought it was just his way of leverage for her not speaking of his color.

"Is your father awake yet?" She asked them gently. "He's not risen-can you not hear that intollerable snoring from the second floor?" Catherine answered. Ivy simply smiled. "He works hard..." she said aloud, but mostly to herself. "Well then, Catherine, take Evelyn and get her dressed for school, and I will make you a meal to occupy your stomachs until you come back home." she told them, rising out of her chair and shewing them back into the house.

Noah, she noticed, as usual, said nothing. He had so much of his father in his being, but in a way, she felt he resented his father, Lucius. He, too, had the color of his father, and his grandfather. But she bothered not to tell him, for he wouldn't understand just yet.

She gripped the cane that had been made by Lucius as a marriage offering, since her original had been uselessly snapped in her travel to the towns. It was his way of saying thank you.

She gripped the smooth, wooden side railing of the stairs as she made her way up those step. Catherine, it seemed, was not exaggerating the least bit. Ivy laughed to herself. It was comical, truly it was.

She slowly opened the door, and peered into the dim bedroom, seeing him fast asleep. She opened the creaking door, and quietly strode over to him. Sitting on the side of the bed, she ran her fingers through his hair, admiring his dim and subtle haze. Her hand slid down his face, gripping its side, and lowering her head down to kiss him on his fourhead.

Sometimes she knew of what he dreamt. It was as if she too was conciously dreaming the very same thoughts. She felt it was impossible to care about someone as much as she cared for him, and their children so.

His color had brightened suddenly, meaning he was aware of reality; he was awake. "Good morning..." she whispered. He sat up suddenly, barely seeing her face. The sky was getting bright outside, he could see through the window by the bed.

He loved the feeling of knowing that every day of his life, she would be his frist and last sight. Just as his thoughts flowed for years before. Time was an admirable thing to behold.

"I have your clothes layed out upon the chair by the bedroom door. When you are ready, come downstairs and eat." she said, standing and walking away. Heswung his legs over the side of the bed and ran his hands through his hair. He felt something about today, something different.

"Mommy! Catherine is saying that I look like a dog!" Evelyn cried out, sobbing into Ivy's dressed. Catherin entered the Kitchen. "Well, it is true, with her hair looking as outrageous as that! She does take the look of a dog!" Catherine retorted, trying hard not to laugh. "Catherine Hunt, you will stop your fussing at once." Ivy said sternly, and then a sense of deja-vu hit her.

"Evelyn, let Catherine brush through your hair. You must act as a young lady and stop this foolish pouting." Ivy softly told her daughter as she knelt down and held her shoulders. She did feel a bit hypocritical, as she was the biggest Tomboy that had every walked the grass of Covington.

Evelyn sniffled and bit her lower lip, but nodded and stalked off. Ivy sighed, and saw a faint haze out of the corner of her mind. "Noah. Are you ready for school?" she asked.

"...Yes Ivy." he replied, and took seat at the dinning room table. He had never called her 'mother', or 'mommy' as all other children seemed to. In fact, his first word was Ivy. He saw her scoop out from the pot above the kitchen fire what looked to be pourage. Again. It seemed that no matter what, they had pourage for breakfast everyday, while he would hear other boys speak of sausage, and eggs.

She sat the bowl down in front of him, and with a quick glance, he replied with a muffled "thank you". He took up a spoonful and put it in his mouth, bearing the repetitive taste.

Then, came the heavy sounds of boots as his father entered the room. He sat at the table, across from his son. Noah avoided eye contact with his father. He wanted to leave now.

Ivy brought Lucius' bowl and placed it before him. "Kitty wishes that Oliver and Jessica stay tonight. She and Christop have matter to discuss, and she wishes the children void of hearing what she has to say." she told him, bringing two more bowls and sitting them down for Evelyn and Catherine. Lucius simply nodded.

Noah looked down at his half empty bowl of pourage. "I'm finished." he stated, getting up and heading toward the door. Ivy suddenly tapped his shoulder.

He turned around and there she was, holding a coat and his books, bound together by string. "I would rather you not catch a sickness in the cold." she smiled, and handed him both. He nodded and turn on his heel to leave.

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It really was a cold morning. The mists seemed to cover the entire village in a spell of fog. But he rather liked the fog. He liked rain. almost everything about him was opposite of what most people preferred.

He then heard the rustling of someone running over dry and crackled laves, toward him. He turned to see that Heather was running up to him. "I knew that you would be out this early!" she called to him. He simply waited for her to catch up.

She was beautiful, her hair a long, flowing golden. She finally stood by him, panting and out of breath.

"I knew that you would be out here in the mist." she smiled. He said nothing, but only stared. He brushed a few of his red hairs out of his eyes. they barely reached, but just enough to be annoying. His mother told him that she would cut it today before the dusk settled.

"Are you really so eager to get to school?" he asked her. She stood up and straightened, beaming a grin. "No. School has never been one of my favorite pass times." she replied. "I wanted to talk to you, alone without eves." she said.

The two began walking, but slowly. She fell silent foar a while, and he dared not glance, for she was staring straight at him.

"Actually, I would rather speak of this matter at the Resting Rock." she told him. They did have plenty of time before the school bell rang out loud, and he seemed to be more docile there. He nodded in agreement.

They strolled for a while. She said nothing, and of no surprise to her, neither did he. They had realized that somehow they had alreay ended up there, at Resting Rock. She looked about to make sure it was allclear of solicitors. He sat, and she sat close to him.

"I know why you have been avoiding me." she started. He slowly glanced up to her face. The problem was, no, she didn't. If she did, she would have nothing to do with him. Because he...was not exactly like other boys.

"I've seen the way you look at some of the other boys." she said. At this, his eyes darted to hers, and she immediately saw the raw fear in his. She actually enjoyed it, briefely, not because she hated him, but because it was one of the rare times that one could tell he was human. He was...cold, most of the time.

"Do not be frightened, I pass no judgement on you, nor will I speak of such subjects to anyone else. But, other girls are getting restless because you are the fittest boy in all of Covington. You are not immature as all of the other boys, and you have the handsomest look about you." she said.

"I tell you this as a warning. The fall dance is aproching, and all of the girls have their eyes upon you. If you wish not to be caught, keep watch on when and what you do." she finished. She stood, and turned to him. "Shall we go to school now?" She asked in the chipper manner she was always in. He simply nodded.

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Work was slow today, as Lucius had not much left to do. It was only about midday, and he was already almost done in the fields. Maybe he should go home and surprise Ivy with some flowers. She was always fond to the smell of them.

He made his way back up the the shed to put his tools away, when he heard someone calling his name. "Mr. Hunt!"

He wheeled around to see that Noah's teacher, Beatrix, had him by the ear and was stomping up to him. Lucius was surprised by the fact that it was Noah in trouble, this wasthe first time anyone has ever had a problem with him.

"Your boy hit little James in the face, making the poor boy's eye swell uncontrollably!" she shouted. He glance down to Noah, who was unable to look at his father. Lucius only sighed. "Thank you for telling in person Beatrix." he said.

He took hold of Noah by the arm. What was wrong with the boy? He was snapping back at people, he was not finishing his chores, and he was slipping in school. Lucius realized, however, by a stammared whimper, that he was gripping the boy's arm pretty hard. He losened his grip, and began leading Noah to a small room in the distance.

Noah looked, and realized where he was going. The Quiet Room. He had not been there before, and Lucius did not want to put him there, but he knew not what to do.

Lucius let go of Noah, and opened the door. Inside, there was a chair in the corner and a small window. "You know where this is." Lucius said. Noah nodded.

"You know that I do not like punishing you, but I know not what to do anymore." he said, coldly Noah had noticed. Lucius looked away when Noah stepped inside.

Noah noticed that it wasn't as big as it appeared outside. Then he jumped when he heard a sudden _slam!_ Then, he heard the click of the lock behind him. He sighed. It wasn't his fault, James was the one who started it. He was talking about his mother, and he couldn't let him get away with it. He couldn't.

There wasn't much to do in here, but he did find a nail after inspecting the room. He was sitting in the corner, and as small as possible, he scratched his name into the wooden floor. He then layed back and stretched. unbuttoning his vest, and rolling up his sleeves. then, his blue eyes caught something.

The nail has stood up on its own, and was etching something of its own. In large letters, a message was written:

MY NAME IS NOAH TOO


	2. Ides of March

A/N: Okay, the last chapter was a little short, and this one may be as well, but I'm just trying to get past all of the explanation stuff.

Ivy did feel lonely now. Before, she always had Evelyn to attend to when Catherine and Noah were at school. But now, even her little Evelyn had left her. It really was quiet without her youngest daughter talking of every whispered gossip in Covington. She seemed to retain every last bit of information that had ever been spoken. Her gift, Ivy saw it.

So what was she to do now? She could always go and see Mrs. Nicholson. Mrs. Nicholson had gotten to be where she could not leave her house anymore, she was so brittle. Ivy was really the only one who ever visited her.

She felt the warmth of the fire, as she sat in her rocking chair. She was fond of this chair, it was all she had of him. Of her Papa. He had originally given it to Lucius after their wedding in June, but eventually, she used it more for comfort and Lucius understood. So, he fashioned one for himself so they could sit together. She smiled, thinking about him. In his own, quiet ways, he was the most romantic person she knew of.

She gripped her cane to her right, and stood. She really didn't need the cane, for she knew exactly where everything was, but she also couldn't bare to part with it. It was for aesthetic and personal reasons that she used it always, and always she would continue to use it.

She strode to the front door and opened it. "Come inside, Lucius." she said casually. He stood there, in the fog, just before their porch, and sheepishly looked up to her. She knew something was array.

"Did you not hear me? Lucius Hunt, you come inside before you catch the death of cold." She told him firmly and turned. She knew he was coming, she saw his color outside the window. Just as she had fifteen years before.

He took step after step, up the few stairs and across the wooden porch. Closing the door behind him, he walked up to Ivy, who was preparing a bowl of stew that she had prepared for the children when they returned. He put his arms around her, and they stood there silent for a few moments.

"What could be so important that you tear yourself away from your work to tell me?" She asked. She felt his breathing change, and knew something must be wrong. "Nothing, nothing...I finished work early today, and all was as should be..." He told her.

She turned around, and walked to the table, sitting his bowl down. She then slowly walked back into the kitchen, and reached into a wooden bin to retrieve two buiscuts. "So What are you not telling me?" she questioned. He fell silent again, sitting down at the table. She brought him the two pieces of food, and sat the by the wooden bowl.

"It's...Noah..." He began, picking up his spoon. She sat across the table, and listened. Something was bothering him, but she didn't feel that anyone was injured. She had always had a strong bond with the three of them, she could tell what they were feeling, when they were scared, even their greatest fears.

"He is in the Quiet Room." he said. At this, Ivy quickly looked at him. He saw that her sightless eyes were fixed upon his image. He looked down to his bowl. "He hit another boy, but will not say to what his intentions were..." Lucius explained. Ivy simply looked away, thinking about something. What she was thinking, Lucius never knew.

"It was not your fault." She told him. "He needed to be punished for his actions, and it was your responsibility to do so..." She tried to comfort him, she tried. She knew it pained him to punished the children.

She remembered once, Noah had shoved Catherine over childrens' quarrels, and Lucius had grabbed his arm in anger. It made Noah cry, even left bruises. Lucius couldn't look at Noah for almost a week. Not because he was angry at Noah, but she believed that he feared that he would get angry again and hurt someone. He was not the person to be mad...to hate.

"Why is it that I feel nothing for our children as you do?" He asked her. She looked at him, furrowing her brows.

"You do-you love them so. You care for them as any parent should care for their child." she told him. He looked down to the table, his fingers playing with a bread crumb. "I am not the loving parent...I am but a punisher. You are the one they love. They resent me."

Ivy stood up, and stomped her crane on the floor. He jumped in surprise, and saw that she was agrier than he had ever seen her. Her nostrels were flaring, and she seemed to be looking intently at him.

"Lucius Hunt! You will never say such things again in this house, or any where else in Covington, for that matter! You are not a mere punisher, you are their father!" she yelled at him. As the words bit at him, he sat there, lowering his head like a cowering dog. He then felt her hand upon the side of his face, cupping it in her hand. Her palms were warm, the touch gentle.

"You are our cherished one. We could not love as we do without you here as well." she said, now a calm and forgiving tone. He nodded. She walked to the door, and he watched her.

"I will be at my mothers' house for a short while. Please give Evelyn and Catherine their stew when they come home." she smiled at him. Her eyes, they were what he loved the most about her. They could see nothing, completely useless to her. However, they enabled her to see him, not "see" him. She saw Lucius as Lucius. The raw form of him that no one else could possibly ever see.

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Noah rubbed his fingers against the etched words. My be they had been here before, and he hadn't noticed them. Though, it did seemed unreal that he missed them, and it happened to go with his entry, and he happened to halucinate the words being written. But then, unreal would also be the nail scratching them itself.

He picked up the nail and then wrote:

Nice to meet you

At his, he placed the nail just below that, and waited. He stared intently, waiting for the nail to moved. It was absurd. This wasn't happening, and the nail wasn't going to just moved by itself. Now he knew why no one like coming here; it was creepy what your mind could play against yourself.

He stood and sat in the chair. He then heard something. He looked to the source of the sound, the floor. It the middle of the room, the floor boards seemed to be rattling slightly. Then, they abruptly stopped. Now he knew he hadn't imagined that. He got down on the floor, and crawled to the spot.

There seemed to be nothing unusual about the boards themselves. They were nailed down, so he couldn't removed them. He figured that a fox might have crawled underneath from the outside, and must be getting curious. A far fetch, but any explanation was better than none. This room was going to drive him crazy.

Just then, he heard the lock of the door. The door then opened, revealing nothing outside but the fog and grass. The, around the door, came a head. "Hello, Noah."

Heather stood there, smiling at him. She stepped inside, and shut the door behind her. "How did you get in?" he asked her. She laughed. "I picked the lock." she told him.

"How do you know how to pick a lock?" he asked. She smiled. "I sat there and figured it out until it finally popped open." she told him, revealing the large padlock that was on the door. He laughed with her. Besides, it was nice to have some kind of company. They sat on the floor, against the wall.

"Guess what happened to me today. Oliver Crane asked me to the fall dance, and he was terribly fidgetting, but I agreed to go, even though he has not spoken a word to me in his life before then." she rambled. She continued to talk about how he cannot seem to sit still and is always jumping about.

"Do you ever think about the woods?" Noah interrupted her. She looked to his eyes, and saw that he was serious in his question.

"It is forbidden, and it is not gentlemanly to speak of such things in front of a lady." she replied. He smiled.

"You did not answer my question, and it is not lady-like to leave a question un-answered." he coutered. She looked away. "It is when she wishes not to speak of a subject that makes her feel uncomfortable." she said. He laughed.

"And what is so funny, Noah Hunt?" She asked. He looked to her face, and smiled. "I thought you were fearless in conversation. After all, a lady also wouldn't speak of such mannor as to what we discussed this morning."

"That was different. I was comfortable with that." she replied, head held high. "But what about me?" he quipped. "Did you ever think that I might have been uncomfortable with the subject?" he laughed. She admitted, he did have a point. But something about today unnerved her. Enough to make her want to be cautious.

"Well, back to my question then. Do you ever think about the towns?" he asked her. That is not what you asked me." she suddenly told him. "You asked me if I ever thought about the woods, and of course I do. I am afraid that Those We Don't Speak Of may come into our village at any moment. I think about whether or not they are whatching me as I walk about, or even if my family will die while I sleep. Yes, Noah, I do think about those woods."

He looked at her, her eyes staring straight ahead, her face slightly off color. It was unlike her to be frightened of anything. "Sorry." he told her. She looked down. "Don't be. But I feel something will happen today. Something horrible." she said.

He nodded. He had been feeling the same as of late, and something about this room haunted him. Especially the event that happened before she got there.

"I have been having dreams. Of a boy, beaten by other children, and then a girl with long locks of red hair comes to his aide. She is kind, but I cannot see their faces." Heather suddenly spoke.

"On a happier note," she smiled, and perked to her usual self as if nothing had happened. "I wanted to be the first to wish you a happy birthday." she told him. He raised an eyebrow. "'Tisn't for another three days." he said.

"I know that, Noah. After all, I have known you since we were but two. However, I wanted to be the very first person, so I planned ahead." she explained.

"So you will be 15 years of age." she said, trailing off. She then smiled again, she she seemed to do alot, off and on. "That means you are aloud to court the person of your choice, but only if they accept." she happily looked to him, but then frowned. "I apologize, I did not think of what I said." she told him.

"You've done nothing to apologize for." he said.

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"Oh, it is good to have company on such a day as this." Mrs. Walker said, giving Ivy her cup of tea. Ivy took a sip, and smiled. "I forgot how well you grew the leaves." she said. Her mother laughed.

"You know, your father used to sit in that chair on the porch, in fog like this, and he would say that exact thing." she said, sitting across the kitchen table from her daughter. Then she sighed. "I do miss him these days." she then said. Ivy sat, running her fingers around the cup, enjoying the warmth. "I miss Papa too." Ivy said.

She felt her mothers hand reached for hers. Then her mother laughed. "So tell me how is that husband of yours?" she asked her, trying to take the conversation to a light note. Ivy smiled.

"Lucius is fine, but he has been weary as of late. He can't seem to sleep at night, and when he finally does, he gets about an hour or two and then I have to wake him." she told her mother. "And today, he had to put Noah in the Quiet Room."

Mrs. Walker gasped. "Noah? What did he do that was so terrible?" she asked. Ivy paused, and then took a drink of her tea.

"He hit another boy today. Lucius then put him in the Quiet Room, but it was a heavy task on his heart." she explained.

Mrs. Walker sipped at her cup, and then sat the cup down. "But what on earth would drive Noah to do such a thing? He was always such a good boy." she said. "I remember when I hadn't gotten out of bed for a week after your father died-it felt like forever. Anyway, that boy of yours walked right up to me, gave me a bundle of flowers, and do you know what he said? He told me, that 'The winters may steal away into the night, but the spring blesses us with the Ides of March'.

"At first I had no Idea what he was talking about, until I remembered that was what your father had told me when we were young. He must have told the boy that once...And that same summer, you were going to have Evelyn." she said, sitting back in her reminiscance. "He is a special boy. Like you, in some ways..."

Ivy smiled. Noah was just like his fahter, more than her. He never jostled about with the other boys, he was helpful to others, all of the women, and girls as she heard, adored him. He was an easy child. She even remembered that, as a baby, he never cried. In fact, the only time she ever heard Noah cry was when Lucius had grabbed his arm that _one_ time.

"Well, it is almost dark outside, and I'm sure your husband is missing you. After all, he has to look after the children, why wouldn't he miss you." she laughed. Ivy smiled as well, but she suddenly felt a strange sense come over her.

Ivy stood, and smiled to her mother. "Come and visit us sometime. Catherine speaks fondly of you." Ivy said, before she headed for the door. "Ivy wait." her mother called. She ran to a small chest on the mantle piece, above the fire, and retrieved something. Ivy waited, holding out her hand.

Mrs. Walker placed the small item in her hand, and Ivy immediately began to analyze it. "Papa's necklace..." she whispered. Mrs. Walker smiled, closing Ivy fingers around it. "Give it to Noah for me, please." she said, and turned to leave Ivy standing by the door.

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Noah sat in the room, alone, and with almost no light. It was awfully dark outside. Heather had left a while ago, saying she had to be home before anyone worried. Of course, she had to lock the door again to make sure no one knew she was there. He was drifting to sleep, tired and hungry. But every time he fell asleep, his head would nod forward, and he'd snap awake again.

But this time, he laid his head back, and almost instantly, fell to a quiet slumber. He was dreaming of a place, with tall trees that creacked. Almost as if they were alive. And he was looking up, out of a large and wide whole. He could see the roots out of the wall of the hole.

There was red around him, the bad color, and he was cold. He felt very alone at that moment. He wanted someone to help him out of there, but he was trapped. And the a figure appeared above him, staring down at him. They were holding something in their hands, and staring down at him. But their face was hiden from his sight, for they were hooded, and the sky was providing a nice contrast to it all.

But something woke him, and he jerked as he sat up in his chair. A sound had awaken him. Then heard it again. He looked around, and parralell to him, across the room in the other corner, sat someone. a child, maybe 6, or 7.

They had their back to him, and head hanging down. "Hello?" he called to them, standing. He only heard a whimper The, suddenly they stood, and turned to face him, but their face was covered by their semi-long, dark, wet hair. It was raining outside, so he figured that maybe they had come in only moments before, but he had never seen this child before.

Then he noticed that they were holding a long, rusted nail. Gripping it tightly, so their knuckles were white. Then, the floor boards began to tremble slightly once more, and the nails seemed to slowly, yet simultaniously, rise up, twisting as they did. Whe they were completely out, they seemed to stand upright for a few seconds, before falling, rolling around. Then, the boards flew up, in every direction, hitting the walls, splintering into shards.

The child, then slowly let themself fall into it the black, bottomless hole. "No!" Noah shouted, rushing forward to stop them. He grabbed a piece of their shirt, there legs falling limply. He tried to pull the child up, but he was soaking. Then the child grabbed his arm, finger nails digging into his skin, and raised his head slowly. "You're It." they whispered before scratching Noah deep with the rusted nail.

Noah cried out in pain as he let go of the child. He then ran around the gap and to the door. To his luck, it wasn't locked, and he opened it, running out into the rain. And it was at this moment, he had run into someone who happened to be outside.

Both of them fell to the ground, groaning. Noah sat up, his clothes muddy from the rain, and looked to his left to see if the other person was alright. To his surprise, and against his luck, it was his father.

His father suddenly sat up, rubbing his shoulder, and then turned to Noah. He stood up, and grabbed Noah hard by the shoulder, picking him up. "What in heavens sake were you running for? You could have seriously injured someone!" Lucius screamed at him. Noah was stilled by fright, and found himself speechless.

"I-It was...The child in t-there..." he said, stuttering terribly, and looking back into the room.

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Ivy had finished wrapping the gauze around Noah's arm, where he had been scratched and bleeding. It didn't seem to stop either.

"There..." she said. She found his forehead with her soft, kind hands and gave him a kiss.

Lucius was pacing, partly in anger, and partly in worry. "Do you have any idea how mad I am right now? You broke out of the room, and cut yourself!" he screamed. "Lucius, lower your voice." Ivy calmly said.

"It wasn't me who cut my arm!" Noah said. "It was that boy in the corner." he told them. Lucius was in no mood for stroies, and Ivy seemed to want to hear the complete side of their son's stroy before condemning him.

"You even pried up all of the nails, and broke almost all of the floor boards in there!" Lucius yelled once again, and Ivy was about to tell him once more to keep his voice down, but he quickly apologized to her for yelling again. Noah felt unjustified. After all, wasn't the saying 'innocent until proven guilty'? But he figured that his father saw it as 'Guilty until proven Innocent'.

"Go to bed." Lucius firmly told him, and Noah rose slowly and trailed off. "By the way," he turned to face the two. "He said his name was Noah too." he said, before turning for th stairs. "Thank you for wrapping my arm, Ivy." he called back. Lucius sat down at the eating table, and she walked up to him, wrapping her arms around him, and leaning on him.

"You know, maybe he did not actually do those things. He said he fell asleep, didn't he?" she said. Lucius shook his head, and ran his hands through his wet hair in frustration. "But nails don't just come up by themselves, and wood doesn't just fly around snapping itself." he told her.

"You are right about that, but think of this: The door was unlocked already, wasn't it? The lock is on the outside, so he couldn't have possibly unlocked it himself." she said. "It is not wise to judge until you have thought things through." she told him. She did have a point.

Hours later, Noah lied in his bed. He couldn't sleep, he just kept thinking about the boy. Then, he heard someone at his door. He sat up, and saw his mother walk in with a bowl.

"What time is it?" he asked her. She handed him the bowl, which it turned out was full of leftover stew. "Either very late, or very early depending on how you think about it." she replied. He chuckled to himself.

She pulled a chair to the side of his bed. "You know your father worries." she said. He rolled his eyes. Luckily she didn't see it because she was blind, after all.

"We need to talk about something." she told him. "I want you to tell me more about that boy."

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Okay, so there it is. Not too hard to figure out what anything was, but this is just the beginning (assuming that you enjoyed it so far). So R&R, and I'll make sure the next chapter isn't so short.


	3. Not like me

A/N: Hello! Sorry it took sooo long to get this chapter up! To tell the truth, I wasn't going to complete the story, and leave it as it was. The reason: I had no reviews and naturally assumed that everybody hated it. However, I plan on finishing it no matter what thanks to (ashes2342, and an anonymous), who submitted what they thought. Without you, this would not be possible, so thnx. And, you are right, it is out of character for Lucius to be so hard on his children, but all will be explained in good time...

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"I want you to tell me more about that boy...'Noah'..." she had asked him. He sat there, silent. What was there to tell her? He wasn't even sure if he was real himself, but he knew he _had_ to be real. He could still remember the way his shirt felt when he grasped it, and his voice, crackled and dark. Not to mention, the most proof he had, the nail scratched deep into his now throbbing flesh.

"I don't know anything else to tell you about him, Ivy..." he quietly told her, avoiding eye contact. And yet, her kind expression did not falter. It never did. He liked that about her.

"Then rest tonight." she smiled, brushing his bangs out of his face. His hair was thick, like hers, but smooth and straight like Lucius'.

Ivy stood, grabbing her cane and placing the chair back into the corner. She gripped the handle of his door, and pulled it shut as she left him. He heard a faint click, and then foot steps.

Without her there, the room seemed much colder...almost alienating. His father didn't 'worry', as she liked to think. The truth was plain and simple: His father hated him. He never knew why Ivy thought him such a good man.

But, Noah had to admit, Lucius had never beaten him like he would hear the other boys say about their fathers. But he could see how Lucius regreted him. Noah had never done anything to dishonor his father, and didn't know why he scorned him so.

Noah burrowed further under his covers, and sighed. He was tired, but not in the sleeping sort of way. But he knew if he didn't go to sleep, he would hardly concentrate on his studies tommorow.

Tommorow...what was tommorow anyway? It was march...14. Of course. One day before his birthday.

If he was a normal young man, he would be counting down the days until his 15th birthday, but he wished the day would never come. When you're 15, you don't really feel 15, at least not at first.

You feel the 5 year old in yourself, when the world is so big, and you feel 9, when the world becomes so complicated, and you feel 13, with daydreams of cherished one, and fond ones, but 15 doesn't have a feeling. Perhaps he was to find a 'sophistication' of some sort? But he was trying to hold onto any time he had left.

He then decided that he really needed to stop rambling to himself and just drift unto sweet slumber. With this thought, he rolled onto his back, and placed both his arms around his stomach. He shut his eyes, listening to the rain hitting the window, and felt the familiar feeling of falling into a dream.

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"I think you should take rest tommorow." Ivy said to Lucius, as she wrapped her arms around him as they laid in their bed. She felt his warmth, and heard his breathing.

"The village can do without the smith for one day, Lucius." she laughed, but she did not feel him change. He was in a deep thought, she could tell. She placed her forehead onto his warm back, and stayed like this until she heard him finally mumble something to her.

"Hmm?" she asked him, raising her head.

"I think that is a...terrific idea, Ivy." he said. She then sat up. She had been expecting the usual querrel over this matter, rather than the unusual situation of him agreeing with her about skipping work.

"Are you true in what you say?" she asked him. She then felt him sit up next to her, and she leaned close to him, while he put his arm around her shoulder.

"I have been weary as of late, and my thoughts cannot rest anymore." he told her. She was very fond of his voice, when he chose to speak. It was aestetically soothing to her.

"What thought trouble your head?" she asked. He fell silent for a few moments, and then spoke once more.

"I want to know...everything." he said. She smiled, and sighed.

"Everything about what?"

"About...What happened in the woods fifteen years ago." he said.

Ivy's eyes jerked open, the comforted smile wiped away from her mouth. She pulled away from him and stared unto nothing. Remembering those days were the only memories that actually reminded her that she truly was blind.

Not in the sense that she could not see, of course not. But the fact that everyone in this village was blind, including her. She could see the good, the true, the valiant heart in people, but she had been blind to the plain and simple truth of what her father had told her.

"I could not tell you with expectancy of understanding, until I show you something first." she told him. She waited for him to reply anything, but heard none.

"I will tell you in the morning, but for now I must sleep. I must be up early for Evelyn and Catherine." she told him. She laid down, and rolled over. She knew this day would come, but she had never planned on how to tell him. She supposed, that she would have to somehow find a way to show him as her father showed her.

She remembered when Lucius was recovering, she was told by the other elders that the creatures were actually real, and that her father had only told her what he did so she would not fear the journey.

She actually believed them, experiencing what she did in the woods. It was only later that night, that Papa had told her what the real situation was. And, in turn, seeing as how the other elders had sheepishly tried to cover it up again, she found that she could not trust anyone as willingly as she had before. Except Lucius. He was innocent, and pure.

But thankfully, she had not had to take their place. The sounds in the woods were enough to appease the stories presence. But, everyone had cherished the fact that they had not seen Those We Don't Speak Of in quite some time. And, Christop was happy to share some "heroic" stories of how he had "fought" them off once with the little ones.

However, after all these years, she did not have the heart to tell Lucius the truth. She did not know how he would take it, and she still did not know.

"I love you." she heard him say, before he fell to his world of sleep. "I know you do..." she replied.

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Noah looked around, bewildered. This wasn't what most of his dreams were like, not at all. Most of his dreams involved his room, and someone else there with him, but he had never been here before.

He was in a place where the trees were tall, and creaked, as if whispering something to eachother in some long lost language that no man could understand.

The ground's soil was soft and dark, the atmosphere was cold, and the trees gnarled upward, looking ripped with hurricane. The he noticed something.

Off in the distance, there was someone in a yellow cloak running. they were running with all that they had in them, but it was reversed, which was pretty comical had it not been set in such an unruly place.

Then he heard a sound behind him. He whipped his head around, his heart jumping, only to find Heather standing there, dressed in the dark blue dress as usual.

"This is new." she stated, walking past him and watching the blurred person in the distance.

"New?" Noah asked her. From what he could see of the back of her head, she nodded. He walked up and stood directly next to here, looking into her distant face.

"I've been having this dream for months, but you usually aren't in it..." she said, her voice not paying attention to anything. she took a deep sigh, and then turned to look at him, examinning him from head to toe. Then, she reached out and grabbed his shoulder.

"You're really here, aren't you?" she said. He nodded, not understanding anything going on at this point, and not sure if he wanted to. She smiled.

"So, if we're both here, but really _here_, would you call this a dream?" He asked. She looked away.

"Well, whatever you call it, I can't seem to figure any of it out. It's always the same thing." she said. She then began to wander, and he could only follow.

"So, what did your father say to you?" she asked. he glanced up to her.

"You know about that?"

"The whole village knows about that. When he is angered, he could wake the dead from deep slumber." she laughed. Noah tried to attempt a smile, but with no avail.

"He worries, you know." she said. Now this, on the other hand, he found amusing.

"And what is so funny, Noah Hunt?" she asked him, turning around to face him. He only shook his head.

"Ivy said the same thing to me." he told her. She frowned.

"I know you hate your father, but he is not all that bad really. He is charming, and a true gentleman." she told Noah, who's expression showed that he aparently disagreed with her statement.

"One of these days, you will see what I mean." she smirked, and began to walk once more.

They wandered around for what seemed to be eternity, until finally, they came to a clearing. An area that was not occupied by trees, but by something else.

Noah felt his hands go cold and he peered around. Everywhere he turned, there seemed to be berries on stems, patches of them.

"These are the bad color." he said. She looked into his eyes, past the pale face, and smiled.

"So there is actually something that scares the fearless Noah Hunt." she said. She walked into the patch, and he only put his hand forth, opening his mouth to say something.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

"It's only a dream, Noah. Do not be frightened, after all, I have yet to see Those We Don't Speak Of in any of my dreams." she chuckled. He did give her credit for her analogy of things, and she was right; it was only a dream.

However, he was suddenly aware of how real his sweat felt, and the cold air against his skin. A dream it may be, but quite a realistic one it was.

He hadn't noticed, but she was already taking him by the hand, and leading him into the patch.

"I do love this color so..." she said. He remained silent, and did not speak a word. Normally, she was distant in speaking of such things.

"Do you want to know why?" she asked him, to which he replied not.

"It is shunned, and abandoned by us for its consequences, but it is not the color's fault at all. It is, as i've found, a color of passion and...love...It should not have to be buried every time it grows to bless us with its beauty!" she said, where as her red, or passion, was showing. She did seemed fond, perhaps too fond, of this color. Her grip was even harder, andshe seemed to now where she was going.

"Where are we going?" Noah asked her. She did not answer, but instead she stopped and turned around. She looked into his eyes, and he into hers. Something was definitly off about her. Then, his heart stopped completely.

She had closed the space in between them, and locked lips with his, still holding his hands, which were now clamy. He did not kiss her back, but stood there, frozen, as she pulled her face away.

She examined his eyes, and thought for a moment.

"So you really are here. Ha! If it was a dream, you wouldn't have reacted like that at all..." she trailed off. He still said nothing, but thought one line: Girls do very, very, very strange things that cannot be explained rationally.

"Please do not take that the wrong way, I just had to know for sure." she told him. She then let go, and walked off.

"See you tommorow." she called back, before vanishing. It was almost as if she was a painting, wiped away and smeared before dissapearing completely. Did that mean she woke up? He was still stuck here, so he assumed he was still sleeping.

He did love the fresh country air, and then he had just come to an epiphony. He now knew exactly where he was, and when he had comany, it wasn't so bad. However, alone, it took a darker tone. He was alone, and lost, standing in the middle of the "bad-color", and the trees were now silent.

He then heard a low, gruff noise behind him. This was as if he had waltzed into their sacred home, and handed them a silver platter, asking them to take his head.

Though he knew he shouldn't, he turned and faced the thing that had haunted him now. And there, he saw it. The creature stood there, cloaked in crimson. It looked as if it were hollow underneath, where bone-orniments hung, but it wasn't the creature that he watched. It was the boy.

In front of the creature, stood the small boy, who looked of only 9 years at most. his face covered by his dark, wet hair. He seemed to be soaked as the last time he was seen. The towering creature made him look even smaller.

"It is time to play." the boy said. Noah simply walked slowly toward the boy, until the creature drew in a deep breath, producing a loud growl. At this, Noah's body was unsure of what to do, so different parts went in different directions, causing his to jitterly fall to the ground.

He looked around, and the boy was nowhere to be seen, yet the creature could still be heard. He stood, brushing the mud off of his vest and pants, and glance around, looking for them.

Upon turning completely around, the creature stood, four feet away from him, and towering over him, showing how tall it was. He still could not see its face, but he decided he didn't want to.

He turned to run, and saw the boy blocking his way.

"It is time to PLAY with me." The boy stated. At this moment, he produced a long, rusted nail, which Noah assumed was the same one, and the the boy stabbed Noah in the stomach, four times to be precise.

Noah screamed, sitting up in his bed, drenched in his own sweat. He felt around, feeling his stomach. He was fine, but his arm was searing with a burning pain. The foggy morning light was coming through the window, and he could see just fine around his room.

He felt a hand brush his forehead, and he heard a murmur.

"You have a fever..." the voice told him, and he laid back down. They place their hand on his chest, pushing him to lay down. He was comforted by the fact that someone was there, stroking his hair back.

He opened his eyes once more and then it registered that it wasn't Ivy's voice he had heard. He shot his eyes to his side, and found his father, sitting in the chair by his bed side. His eye brows furrowed, and he sat up.

"What are you doing in here?" Noah asked. His father did not answer him at first, but handed him a bowl of what noah had predicted was the usual daily routine of pouridge. However, he was surprised the see a soup there, and two biscuits on a plate. It seemed to be a vegetable soup of some sort, but smelled better than pouridge.

"Your mother was very concerned, but she had to leave for some business she has with Old Mrs. Clack." he told him. He handed him the spoon, and looked at him.

There was something in Lucius' eyes that Noah hadn't seen before. Though he still saw his father's behavior as cold and distant, he did see a trace of what seemed to be...general concern.

"So, I took the day from my work to look after you." Lucius told him. Noah paused, mid-slurp of his meal. His father, that had resented and regreted the day he was born, actually took the day off, a first in history, to look after him?

Noah sat there, looking at him, and said nothing for a few moments. As a matter of fact, neither of them seemed to be looking away, nor making any attempt of communication. Then Noah finally asked him something.

"Why?" He asked, almost demanding the _real_ reason. Lucius looked out of the window, and then back to his son.

"_Ahem!_" he cleared his throat. Then he slowly began, choosing his words. "Because...you are...my son, and I do not know why you hate me so. Your mother tells me that you think I resent you, and I don't," at this, Noah silently laughed, "but I do not know how to deal with you when you go around hitting other people for no apparent reason!" He had finished, and ended up turning it into shouting.

"I did have a reason!" Noah shouted right back. "He was bullying the little ones, and...He was speaking ill things of Ivy..." he ended rather sheepishly. Lucius put his hand on Noah's which had caught his by surprise. Why was his father acting so...so...kind?

"But that does not give you reason to just go and hit him. Things should be resolved by talking them through." he told him. Noah looked into his fathers weary eyes, tired from years of work.

"I just get angry when you do such idiotic things like that..." he explained. Noah rolled his eyes.

"Then why are you so much harder on me? Why aren't you the same with Evelyn and Catherine?" Noah demanded, and Lucius looked away.

"Because... I don't want you to end up...like me..." he said. Noah didn't get it at all. Lucius looked into his son's eyes and Noah saw his father for the first time.

"Why?" Noah aksed him. He really didn't have a clue what he meant, and now he felt guilty for feeling how he did before, but actions speak louder than words, and Lucius' past actions had said a lot. But, apparently, appearences can be decieving.

"I want to show you something." Lucius said, he took off his jaclet, and un-buttoned his shirt. He revealed a collage of scars on his stomach.

"This was what happened when me and your mother were to be wed." he laughed. Noah stared at them. The question was begining to be redundant, but he asked again.

"Why?" he asked for the third time in a row. Lucius sighed, and buttoned his shirt up again.

"I don't know why people take such actions. But I worry about you, and I do not wish your being in way of harm or any danger..." He said. They sat there, silently, until Lucius had suddenly taken the much smaller, and remarkably weaker, Noah into an embrace.

Noah was seriously wondering if he was still dreaming. This was _not_ his father! His father did not do things like this, nor was he this affectionate. He hardly showed emotion at all!

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A/N-Okay, so there's the 'meaningless, dissapointing' chapter that had no significance. Every story's got one, right? Anyway, there's the fast and easy approach to the Lucius' actions crap. It was to be drawn out more and longer, and was not to come until later, but I thought about it, and it really was pointless, so I'm just getting that out of the way. So, there's my apology if any of you thought that that particular scene was out of context, etc.


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